Gabrielle Anwar Movies
Though most audiences will likely remember getting their first glimpse of the lovely Gabrielle Anwar when she took the dance floor as Al Pacino's tango partner from 1992's Scent of a Woman, she had previously appeared in numerous British miniseries' since the late '80s. Breaking into American cinema opposite Richard Grieco in the 1991 teen spy comedy If Looks Could Kill, Anwar soon found herself climbing the credits list after her charm and skillful footwork left audience hungering for more. Born in the daughter of an Persian film producer and a British actress in Laleham, Middlesex, England, in February of 1970, ruffian Anwar was kicked out of school for fighting in her early years, though she later opted to study drama and dance in London. Anwar made her television debut in Jim Henson's The Storyteller (1987), followed by her film debut in 1988's Manifesto, and after appearing in such British miniseries as Summer's Lease, First Born, and Press Gang (all in 1989), it was time to cross the pond with mate Craig Sheffer and make her bid for Hollywood. Following her eye-catching turn in Scent of a Woman, the fledgling starlet faced an unearthly horror in Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers, romanced Michael J. Fox in For Love or Money (both 1993), and appeared opposite Andy Garcia in Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead (1995). Though it certainly seemed as if Anwar's career was headed in the right direction, a series of low-budget efforts in the late '90s, as well as a rumor that she had lost the lead role in Titanic to Kate Winslet, seemed to stall her rise to stardom. Taking a cue from her early years, Anwar turned toward television. She gained positive notice for her role as Fidel Castro's secret lover in the 1999 made-for-television feature My Little Assassin, and a few short years later she appeared in the short lived sci-fi mystery series John Doe. Still appearing frequently in features, the woman voted as one of the 50 most beautiful people in the world by People Magazine (in 1993) could be spotted in such efforts as Save it for Later and Mob Dot Com in 2003. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
A trio of wealthy but socially inept beachcombers enlist the help of two local surfers in hopes of learning the lingo and landing some ladies in this sex comedy that offers sun, sand, and just a little bit of naughty fun! When three friends purchase an oceanfront mansion on a hip Southern California beach, their party comes to a grinding halt when their overzealous pickup methods fall flat with the ladies. It's not long before the desperate wannabe beach studs meet a pair of bona fide surf hunks, and once they get the beach lingo down all bets are off! ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bronson Pinchot, Loretta Swit, (more)
Abel Ferrara's Body Snatchers is the third screen version of Jack Finney's cold war science fiction novel Invasion of the Body Snatchers. Marty Malone (Gabrielle Anwar) is moving with her father, stepmother, and stepbrother to a military base where her father will investigate possible environmental and ecological problems. Before they get to town, Marty is warned in a gas station restroom by a crazed looking military man that, "They get you when you sleep!" Marty adjusts to life on the base by flirting with a young officer and making friends with the rebellious daughter of the base commander. These friends help her when a plot by aliens to turn all humans into unemotional, unfeeling "pod people" shifts into high gear. As her family and friends are attacked, Marty doesn't know who to trust. Previous versions of his story were directed by Don Siegel (1956) and Phillip Kaufman (1978). ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabrielle Anwar, Terry Kinney, (more)
The first season of this sleek spy series mixes plenty of action with sex appeal and a dose of wry humor. While on a covert mission in Nigeria, spy Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) discovers he's been burned, which equates to being fired in the world of espionage. After escaping the immediate danger of his assignment, he wakes up in Miami with no memory of how he got there and discovers his accounts have been frozen and his contacts cut off. Forced to fend for himself, Michael recruits the help of the only friends he has: Sam Axe (Bruce Campbell), a former intelligence contact whom the FBI has tapped to gain intel on Michael; Fiona Glenanne (Gabrielle Anwar), a spunky ex-IRA operative looking for closure after being dumped by Michael several years earlier; and Michael's meddling mother Madeline (Sharon Gless), who's thrilled to have her son back in her life. Despite the often uneasy state of these alliances, Sam, Fiona and Madeline each bring their own skills to the table to help Michael find out who burned him and why. In order to fund his investigation-not to mention more mundane expenses like rent-Michael picks up a side job as a private investigator helping Miami citizens obtain justice. Each episode chronicles a different case, opening the way for notable guest stars like Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess) and Richard Schiff (West Wing). But Michael's main goal throughout the season is following the convoluted trail of betrayals and double-dealings that led to his burn notice. ~ Brie Hearn, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
Combining the best action/thriller elements with surprising humor and an iconic new breed of espionage, the second season of USA Network hit Burn Notice heats up as blacklisted spy, Michael Westen (Jeffrey Donovan) hones his unique skills for new clientele. After being fired as a professional spy and dumped in his hometown of Miami without money or resources, Westen struggles to put his life back together and find out why he has been "burned." The series also stars Gabrielle Anwar as Fiona, a beautiful ex-IRA operative who happens to be Westen's ex-girlfriend; Bruce Campbell as Sam, Michael's closest buddy in town; and Sharon Gless as Madeline, Westen's hypochondriac mother. This new season (2008-9) of 16 episodes follows Westen as he takes on all new death-defying assignments in hopes of getting closer to his new employers, the people that were possibly responsible for his ousting. Joining the cast this season is Tricia Helfer (Battlestar Galactica) as Carla, the woman who may be behind Michael's "burn notice."
- Starring:
- Jeffrey Donovan, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
Another in a long line of "revisionist" Sherlock Holmes dramas, the made-for-cable Case of Evil offers a 28-year-old Holmes (James D'Arcy) who, in contrast with his later and more familiar persona, brashly brags about his deductive skills, egotistically basks in his fame and popularity, and drinks like a fish. But young Sherlock is in for a sobering and humiliating return to earth when he first crosses the path of Professor Moriarty (Vincent D'Onofrio), the "Napoleon of Crime." The brilliant but inexperienced Holmes not only fails to connect Moriarty with the murders of London's most notorious opium dealers, but even ends up falling into the clutches of the master criminal, who introduces the hapless detective to a relatively new and exotic drug known as heroin. Helping Sherlock put himself back together after his horrendous experience are his friend Dr. Watson (Roger Morlidge), his brother Mycroft (Richard E. Grant), and a comely young lady (Gabrielle Anwar) -- whose last name happens to be Doyle. The story is climaxed by a thrilling sword duel inside Big Ben (and never mind that the famous clock tower hadn't yet been built). Filmed in Romania, Case of Evil made its USA Network debut on October 25, 2002. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- James D'Arcy, Vincent D'Onofrio, (more)
Frank Whaley, Traci Lords, Gabrielle Anwar, and Dina Meyer star in director James Koya Jones' tale of six childhood friends who band together to confront a lingering secret from the past. A man has died, and now the six friends who knew him best have returned home to pay their final respects. Later, while settling their late friend's estate issues, the group discovers a map leading them to a long-forgotten time capsule that they had all buried many years ago. Upon unearthing the capsule, the six friends find themselves forced to confront a lingering childhood trauma as they begin the painful journey into their crumbling childhood home. Once there, a terrible secret concerning a mysterious dead girl emerges, and the fate of the entire group of forever sealed. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Traci Lords, Dina Meyer, (more)
In this comedy, teamwork takes on a new meaning when four friends fall in love with the same woman. Four guys with an interest in competitive rowing -- ad executive Scott (Jason Lewis), architect Michael (Chris Rydell), stockbroker Bob (Sean Astin), and college professor Walter (Robert Mailhouse) -- decide their crew needs some help. They learn that the daughter of an Olympic rowing champion lives in town, and she's no slouch at the sport herself. The four approach Kimberly (Gabrielle Anwar) and discover that she happens to be a very beautiful woman; for the sake of the team, all four make a solemn vow not to make any romantic overtures to Kimberly while they're in training, but predictably the flesh is weaker than the spirit and all four end up dating her at one time or another. The real dilemma comes when Kimberly becomes pregnant, and she isn't sure which one of the four men is the father. Rather than fight, all four take turns guiding Kimberly through pregnancy and childbirth as she continues to guide the rowing team. The supporting cast includes appearances by Patty Duke as a doctor and Molly Ringwald as Walter's significant other. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabrielle Anwar, Sean Astin, (more)
- 1993
The second volume in this film noir style TV-anthology series, this collection of short stories revolves around the dark world of detectives and police officers. Called to look into a murder, an investigator (Gary Oldman) discovers that the victim of the crime is none other than his estranged wife (Gabrielle Anwar) in "Dead End for Delia." When an attractive woman captures the attention of a detective, he ends up entangled in mob business in "I'll Be Waiting." In "The Quiet Room," the underhanded plans of two unscrupulous officers go amok ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Michael J. Fox stars as Doug Ireland in this romantic comedy about a brash concierge at a swanky New York hotel who always makes it a point to go out of his way for the hotel guests. But Doug doesn't want to be a concierge forever. What he would really like to do is build a swanky hotel of his own, and all he needs is $3 million to do it. When haughty and patronizing tycoon Christian Hanover (Anthony Higgins) comes to the hotel for a rendezvous with his mistress Andy Hart (Gabrielle Anwar), Doug sees the opportunity to convince Christian to invest the $3 million in his dream of a hotel. So, Doug willingly agrees to baby-sit Andy when Christian has to leave her to see his wife. But the more time he spends with Andy, the more affectionate he feels toward her, until finally he has fallen in love with her. Now Doug must make a choice concerning what he really wants -- his dream of a hotel or the love of Andy. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Michael J. Fox, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
- 2000
This Yuletide-season TV movie reverses the standard "three girls on the make" formula of many an old 20th Century Fox movie, of which How to Marry a Millionaire is a choice example. This time out, a trio of enterprising young men decide to go on the prowl for rich wives, after first consulting a nonplussed department-store Santa with their intentions. The plan, as hatched by the impoverished heroes, Tom (John Stamos), Jason (Shermar Moore), and Mark (Joshua Malina), is as follows: They will pose as hot-shot Hollywood movie producers, the better to entice attractive and wealthy young women to invest in their newest "production" -- and hopefully, to entrap said women into matrimony. As so often happens in stories of this nature, however, love ultimately triumphs over money. A bit too top-heavy with racy double entendres and potentially unsavory situations, the film is redeemed somewhat by the presence of Dabney Coleman and Rhea Perlman, cast as an older couple named -- believe it or not -- John and Jackie Kennedy. How to Marry a Billionaire: A Christmas Tale made its first Fox Network appearance on December 20, 2000. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Stamos, Joshua Malina, (more)
- 1991
- PG13
Television flavor-of-the-month Richard Grieco made his feature-film debut in this juvenile spoof of James Bond films. He plays a high-school senior named Michael Corben who has flunked out of his French class, but has the chance to make up his grade on the French Club's summer trip to Europe. On the airplane booked to transport the French Club to France is another man by the name of Michael Corben, and this man happens to be a super-spy. When he is killed, the hapless high-school senior is mistaken for the real spy by British intelligence. He becomes involved in a mad plot by Augustus Steranko (Roger Rees) in which Steranko and his evil assistant Ilsa Grunt (Linda Hunt) plan to dominate the European continent by converting the gold standard to coins that will bear Steranko's likeness. Corben goes along with it when he is provided with a red sports car, a tuxedo, and some high-tech weapons. Along with all the spy accouterments, he latches onto a sexy helper -- Mariska (Gabrielle Anwar). ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Richard Grieco, Linda Hunt, (more)
David Snedeker directs this nutty indie flick about a couple of wacky neurotic 20-something New Yorkers. After Gen-X loser Parker Concord (Jonathan Schaech) accidentally burns down his own apartment, he crashes at the pad of his womanizing buddy Jack, who lives by the credo that "New York is a dessert tray of beautiful women." Not unlike Jack Tripper in Three's Company, Parker is forced to hide his heterosexuality in order to get a really cool apartment with comely young female Sam (Alison Eastwood), who only rents to gay men. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Johnathon Schaech, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
Actor Ken Olin directed this real-life story of five American Calvary soldiers who took a stand against General Douglas MacArthur and fought his 1930s plan to trade men on horses for tanks. After defying a direct order to destroy their horses, the men find themselves on the wrong side of military law fighting to survive. This made-for-cable movie was filmed on location in New Zealand and Australia. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Johnson, Craig Sheffer, (more)
Murder and double-dealing among the idle rich sets the stage for this drama. Alan Cross (Adrian Dunbar) is a British detective who travels to a wealthy community along the coast of France in 1938; he's there to attend the funeral of a friend and wants to find out more about the mysterious circumstances behind his friend's death. Cross finds a privileged British family who were close to the deceased and who seem to live by their own set of rules. Helena Graves (Joanna Lumley) was good friends with the deceased, but she claims to know nothing about how he died. Helena's daughter Celia (Gabrielle Anwar) is engaged to a hot-blooded American but has also been involved in an incestuous relationship with her brother Jeremy (Stephen Dorff); Jeremy harbors a dark childhood secret regarding the death of his brother, and he is courting a Jewish woman, much to the chagrin of the anti-Semitic Helena. Cross becomes convinced that someone in the Graves family is to blame for the death, but it's not until someone else dies that the truth begins to bubble to the surface. Innocent Lies was also shown under the title Halcyon Days. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Dorff, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
While covering a story in a remote Brazilian rainforest, television journalist Ann Bauer (Gabrielle Anwar) stumbles all too literally on greedy Dr. North's (David Naughton) secret experiment: Raise genetically mutated bees and sell their venom's healing properties as medicine. But the bees contain a deadly, fast-acting virus, and North has shipped several cases of the live insects onto a passenger jet headed for -- gulp! -- New York City. Luckily, Ann's soon-to-be-ex-husband Marty (Craig Sheffer) is on the plane. Unluckily, back in Brazil, crazed terrorist Mr. Ezekial (Rutger Hauer) and his helicopter-borne army are intent on wiping out the Shadow People tribe of Indians to keep the bees for himself. ~ Buzz McClain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gabrielle Anwar, Rutger Hauer, (more)
- 1989
- R
This film deftly combines black comedy with sharp political satire. Set in a fictional Eastern European town called Waldheim, a place "where nothing is what it seems," the action is centered around a visiting king, in whom many people are very interested for a variety of reasons. Assassination and lust figure prominently on their minds. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Camilla Soeberg, Alfred Molina, (more)
- 2004
- Add Mary Higgins Clark's Try to Remember to QueueAdd Mary Higgins Clark's Try to Remember to top of Queue
A string of bizarre homicides tied to the death of her best friend 15 years ago leads a determined forensics detective to look into her past for answers in this nail-biter from director Jeff Beesley. It's been over a decade since the tragic death of forensic detective Lisa Monroe (Gabrielle Anwar)'s former best friend Jenny Rand, but upon hearing that a series of unsolved murders have been plaguing her former hometown, Lisa returns home to work alongside former-boyfriend-turned-detective Joe O'Connell (Max Martini) in catching the murderer. Soon discovering that each one of the victims had testified against the recently paroled killer at his trial 15 years ago, Lisa and Joe must put an end to the murderous rampage before the crafty killer turns the tables on the determined cops. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
This made-for-TV drama was based on the true story of Marita Lorenz (Gabrielle Anwar), an idealistic American of Latin descent who, in 1959, became fascinated with Fidel Castro (Joe Mantegna), the revolutionary leader who had recently seized control of Cuba. Against the wishes of her mother Alice (Jill Clayburgh), who works with the CIA, Marita travels to Cuba in hopes of meeting the charismatic leader. Fidel is quite taken with her, and he immediately asks her to stay on as his translator and secretary. But it quickly becomes obvious that Fidel's greatest interest in Marita is not professional; they are soon having an affair, and she becomes pregnant with his child. Marita becomes disillusioned with Fidel, believing that power has led him to betray many of the principles he fought for, but she's shocked and confused when she becomes frighteningly dizzy and passes out, only to wake up in New York City several days later, without her baby. Alice tells Marita that she was rescued in a daring raid after Fidel's henchmen poisoned her and aborted her unborn child. Alice now tries to persuade Marita to return to Cuba -- not to help Fidel, but to assassinate him. Originally produced for the Lifetime cable network, My Little Assassin also stars Robert Davi, Ada Maris, and Scott Paulin. The real Marita Lorenz served as an advisor to the production. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Joe Mantegna, Robert Davi, (more)
Five prisoners of war escape captivity in a Confederate prison camp only to land in an uncharted Pacific island where time stands still and dastardly pirates don't take kindly to strangers in director Russell Mulcahy's screen adaptation of fantasy author Jules Verne's literary classic. They thought they were on their way to freedom when they leapt into a balloon and took to the skies, but upon landing on an island where nothing is as it seems, these escapees are about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. From bloodthirsty beasts to murderous pirates and a mad genius named Captain Nemo, treachery lurks behind every corner on this island, and if these five survivors have any hope of staying alive, they'll have to fight to their dying breaths to escape the island and get back to the modern world. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kyle MacLachlan, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
- 1997
A woman fleeing the man in her life discovers a city of women in this revisionist western. Chrysty (Amy Brenneman) is passing through the Nevada desert when she happens upon the small town of Silver, currently populated entirely by women and children, while the men in the community are gone -- working on a dam building project. When Chrysty discovers June (Bridgette Wilson) alone and in labor, she helps her as she gives birth; Chrysty opts to stay around, and she takes a job delivering milk. Silver is ruled by McGill (Kirstie Alley), the village's self-appointed sheriff who doesn't trust Chrysty; McGill discovers that Chrysty is actually an Idaho housewife running away from her husband, West (Angus MacFadyen). However, June's husband Rip (James Wilder), back in town after the birth of a child that may not be his and troubled by his wife's chronic infidelity, has fallen in love with Chrysty, and when West arrives to Silver to retrieve his spouse, Rip opts to fight for her hand. Nevada also features Saffron Burrows as June's sister-in-law, and Dee Wallace Stone and Kathy Najimy as a rough-and-tumble lesbian couple. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
In this independent romantic comedy, Tyler (Casey Peterson) is a thirty-something musician living in San Francisco's North Beach, while his girlfriend Paige (Jennifer Milmore) lives only a few blocks away. While Tyler loves Paige, he's more easily tempted than he ought to be, and when he meets a 19-year-old exotic dancer from New Orleans after a gig one night, his self-control fails him and he ends up sleeping with her. The next morning, Tyler discovers, to his horror, that everyone in the neighborhood seems to know about his indiscretion, and he desperately tries to get to Paige before she hears the news. After he learns that he's too late -- and Paige has made plans with someone else for the evening -- Tyler hatches a plan to creatively ruin her date in hopes that she might give him another chance. North Beach was the first feature film for the directing team of Jed Mortenson and Richard Speight Jr.; leading man Casey Peterson also wrote the film's screenplay. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Casey Peterson, Jennifer Milmore, (more)
In this spoof of old-fashioned murder mysteries, Detective Tomas Hatcher of Scotland Yard (Martin Dejdar) is dispatched to Ravenscroft Manor to investigate the murder of Patrick (Matt Hantley), who has been working at the palatial estate as a stable boy. Hatcher quickly discovers nearly everyone has a secret, even Mr. Ravenscroft (Peter O'Toole), whose recent death doesn't stop him from making an occasional appearance around the house, often in very tasteful drag. It also seems that Patrick is very much missed by the women of the house, including Mrs. Ravenscroft (Greta Scacchi), her daughter Gillian (Laura Harris) and Gillian's governess (Gabrielle Anwar), all of whom were sleeping with Patrick at one time or another. Jealousy may be the killer's motivation, but given's Patrick's fondness for freely sharing his love, how do you narrow the suspects down to only one jealous party? Leading man Martin Dejdar also co-produced The Manor, which was the first Czech-financed film to be shot entirely in English; while little known in America, Dejdar is a major star in his native land. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Martin Dejdar, Greta Scacchi, (more)
Driven by an extravagant, tour-de-force performance by Al Pacino, Scent of a Woman is the story of Frank Slade (Pacino), a blind, retired army colonel who hires Charlie Simms (Chris O'Donnell), a poor college student on the verge of expulsion, to take care of him over Thanksgiving weekend. At the beginning of the weekend, Frank takes Charlie to New York, where he reveals to the student that he intends to visit his family, have a few terrific meals, sleep with a beautiful woman and, finally, commit suicide. The film follows the mis-matched pair over the course of the weekend, as they learn about life through their series of adventures. Though the story is a little contrived and predictable, it pulls all the right strings, thanks to O'Donnell's sympathetic supporting role and Pacino's powerful lead performance, for which he won his first Academy Award. Scent of a Woman is based on the 1975 Italian film Profumo Di Donna. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Al Pacino, Chris O'Donnell, (more)
Two civilians become the only hope for a nuclear submarine stranded beneath a polar ice cap. Stepehen Baldwin and Tom Conti star in this aquatic effort from prolific director Alan Smithee. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Stephen Baldwin, Gabrielle Anwar, (more)
